Known as a man who was soft spoken throughout the community off the playing field, 2002 Branford Sports Hall of Fame inductee Louis Edward Uhl spoke volumes with all his athletic accomplishments as a three sport athlete.
While at Branford, Louis was very popular and was voted “Most Athletic Boy” by his classmates in his senior year. As a member of the Hornets football team in his junior and senior year, he was both a tackle and halfback. Playing alongside fellow hall of famers Howie Johnson (’91), Adolph Mischler (’92), Pat McGowan (’95), and Herbert “Pat” Sykes (’98), tonight’s inductee was captain of the football team in 1927. During the 1926 season, the football team did not win a long list of victories but the games were very close and considering the short time since football was established , the record was very good. The following year the Hornets enjoyed a very successful season, losing only one game. Six games were played, with all of them being Housatonic League games. Branford finished with a record of three victories, one defeat, and two ties.
As a guard on the basketball team, Louis was a member of the junior varsity team as a sophomore. This team formed to give experience to future members of the varsity team. Playing against second teams of other schools, the local team won 9 games and lost 8. Many of the games were lost by close scores and much credit is due to the players for their good record. The team of 1927 succeeded in accomplishing what no other team at the time, in the history of Branford High School could do – winning a Housatonic League and state championship in the same year. The team compiled a record of 16-5, including its Housatonic League record of eleven victories and one defeat stood as one of the best records ever made by a league leader. In the State tournament at the Connecticut Agricultural College, Branford won three games and the Class C title, defeating Leavenworth on March 19, 1927, by the score of 18 -16. Previous to this, in the first and second games, Branford had defeated Putnam and Killingly High School. The game with Killingly amounted to only a practice session as the swift passing and accurate shooting of the Branford players completely baffled its opponent, who were unable to break through the strong Branford defense. The score, 39 to 14, was the largest of the entire tournament. As a member of the B.H.S. baseball team, Louis was a second baseball on the squad during his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons.
After graduating from high school and being voted “Most Handsome” and “Best Dancer”, by his peers, Louis and his brother, John, started the John A. Uhl Cigar Company in North Haven. They started with little money but eventually got the business stabilized and kept it going for 44 years. The company had originally been started by his grandfather in 1865. Before his retirement in 1977, he was the president of the company.
Recreationally, he was an avid fisherman and loved bluefishing, crabbing, eeling, claming, lobstering, and scalloping. Louis was also a longtime member of the Branford Yacht Club and the Trinity Episcopal Church
Sadly, at the age of 90, Louis passed away on December 1, 1999. He was the husband of Wilhelmina Ruth Uhl and the father to daughters Judith(Kay) and Gretel (Uhl). He is also survived by three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
